The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System [Hardcover]

JOANNA COLE (Author), Bruce Degen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a trip to the planetarium, but the magic bus has a better idea and blasts off into space to show the children the real solar system. Reprint. SLJ. H. C. AB.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cole and Degen have already escorted young readers on three enlightening, boisterous rides on the magic school bus--in explorations of the human body, waterworks and the inside of the Earth. This latest expedition, on which the energetic Miss Frizzle offers a tour of the planets, should not be missed. When a closed planetarium disappoints her students on a class trip, the likable teacher saves the day. She manages to launch her rickety school bus into space and steers it around the solar system, visiting the moon, the sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars before an asteroid knocks out one of the taillights. When Miss Frizzle leaves the bus to investigate, she gets lost in space, and the students visit the outer planets without her. They reconnect with her eventually, and the group ends up back in the classroom, making a chart and a mobile based on their discoveries. Once again, author and illustrator let readers laugh while they learn in an animated, fact-filled adventure. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

The planetarium is closed for repairs, so the Magic School Bus blasts off on a real tour of the solar system. After their previous field trips, the children in Ms. Frizzle's class are all blase about such things; as they land on the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and fly by the other planets and the Sun, they comment on what they see, generate a blizzard of one- or two-sentence reports on special topics and--even while Ms. Frizzle is temporarily left behind in the asteroid belt--crack terrible jokes ("Could Saturn take a bath? Yes, but it might leave a ring!"). Although some of the information is radically simplified--people are said to float in space because "without a large mass nearby . . . they do not have weight"--Cole keeps the narrative specific without burdening it with loads of facts. Degen's fresh, energetic illustrations complement the breathless pace perfectly. A first-class introduction to the planets, fine for pleasure or purpose reading. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.; 1st edition (October 27, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590442732
• ISBN-13: 978-0590442732
• ASIN: 0590414283
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joanna Cole s a former elementary school teacher and librarian and a frequent contributor to Parents magazine. Joanna Cole lives in Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Star Light, Star Bright, October 15, 2003

By 

Children's Book Review (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System (Paperback)

Not content with what Earth has to offer, Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a field trip of outer space for the fourth installment of this acclaimed science series, "The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System." Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen are bright as ever in their latest out-of-this-world adventure.

The Friz was already planning for this field trip at the end of her previous voyage, "Inside the Human Body." She informs her students that they're "going to the planetarium to see a sky show about the solar system." And since the kids have already swam through water ("At the Waterworks"), dug up rocks ("Inside the Earth"), and been digested ("Inside the Human Body"), an afternoon at the planetarium seems like a walk through the park. Or, better yet, through the solar system!

There is only one thing dimming everyone's shining star. Arnold's cousin, Janet, is visiting for the day and she isn't exactly the quiet type. She's a regular Ms. Know-It-All, expressing her opinions whenever she feels like it. "I know all of you will be nice to our guest," says Ms. Frizzle. And with that, the class blasts off for the planetarium.

However, it looks like the Friz's mission has been grounded. The planetarium is closed for repairs! But that's when the magic school bus takes matters into its own hands. If you can't bring the stars to you, simply go to them yourself!

The students in Ms. Frizzle's class learn all sorts of interesting facts about outer space. They get up-close and personal with the other eight planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. They are educated on universal bodies such as the Asteroid Belt, meteorites, the Sun, various moons, and rings of the planets. They even find out about things such as gravity, orbits, sunspots, various temperatures in space, etc.

Then something happens that threatens to end the students' quest of knowledge through the solar system. What will Ms. Frizzle do? And even though Janet is a bit haughty, is she the only one that can save the entire class from drifting off into space?

Once again, Cole and Degen prove they have no boundaries. Mixing humor and truth - and not to mention a dose of drama - author and illustrator lead Ms. Frizzle's class and readers alike on an intriguing journey of the solar system. Written in 1990, "Lost in the Solar System" is yet another solid effort from all those involved. But would you expect anything less at this point?

The end of this book, like the three before it, has useful information on what was fact in the story and what was made up. And, like she's done three times before, Ms. Frizzle leaves the reader another clue as to what spectacular exploration she has rolled up her sleeves during our next encounter. Dolphins, fishes and sharks - oh, my! If her outfit is any indication, readers had better start packing their diving suits right now!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Buckle up, class. We're going down!"

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best children's science series ever., March 4, 2002

By 

David J. Gannon (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System (Paperback)

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System is one is a series of science adventure books by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen (Illustrator), all of which are trulky excellent. The chart the adventures of Ms. Frizzle and her class as they go on some really interesting field trips.

The books operate on several levels. They work as adventure stories as the manner in which they get diverted from an ordinary school field trip to the adventure at hand is always entertaining. The illustrations are truly wonderful and add to the story line very effectively. The books do in fact contain a lot of basic information about the topic at hand, so your kids are actually learning something as they read. And, as a final bonus, the books always involve some sore of class socialization issue, so your kids are exposed to some real life classroom issue, (here it's a Miss know-it-all type) and strategies for dealing with them as well. On top of all that, the books are just plain fun.

A great series for late pre-schoolers and early elementary age kids. So, what are you waing for? Jump on the Magic School Bus and have some fun!!!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must-have for a study of the solar system., September 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System (Hardcover)

Ms. Frizzle and her class are delightful. This book is a must-have for children interested in the solar system. The students in my second grade class thoroughly enjoyed it. It is PACKED with information. My students even asked if they could take notes! The book has sparked such excitement about the solar system that I find myself searching for more books to feed their interest.